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shielddrake · 7 years ago

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Rebel of Sky City Ch. 18

“I can’t believe we have to have shifts this late at night,” Harry complained as he and his partner marched the halls of Sky City’s palace.

“Yeah, what’s the deal anyway?” Ron whined. “I thought things were going to be different when Aiden took over.”

“He keeps saying we need to be patient, but I’m not going to stick around much longer if he doesn’t deliver,” said Harry. “A leader’s no good if he can’t keep his promises.”

“But think about it,” Ron reconsidered. “No Founder, no restricted resources, no laws against building.”

“Yeah, guess it’s worth the wait.” Harry swiped his hand across his forehead. “But Aiden hasn’t said what he’s going to do with Jesse. Isn’t she next in line to lead? With The Founder out of the way, what’s he going to do with her?”

“Don’t know. I just hope she cooperates,” Ron answered. “I don’t like The Founder’s laws much, but Jesse’s not a bad girl. Wouldn’t want something to happen to her.”

“Same here.”

The two guards continued to grumble as they went down the hall. They didn't notice the group hiding in the shadows around the corner. Jesse stuck her head out to watch the guards walk out of hearing range. She stepped into the hall and waved for the others to follow her.

“Hear that, Jesse?” Petra teased. “You’re not a bad girl.”

“Oh shut up.” Jesse smiled despite her statement.

She led the group down the twists and turns of the halls, heading in the direction of the throne room. She paused at each corner to check, making sure no one was around to see them. When there was a guard on duty, Jesse hid her friends until the coast was clear.

Olivia stubbed her toe on another wall when she was forced to come to a stop behind Milo. She grunted and rubbed her boot.

“I don’t know how you get around this place,” she criticized, gritting her teeth. “You’d think that The Founder would be a better builder than this. Nope. The whole palace is a maze.”

“It wasn’t always this big,” Jesse explained. “She had to add on to it as Sky City grew.”

“But why all the twists and turns?” Lukas asked, genuine confusion on his brow. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“She said it’s to confuse intruders.” Jesse shook her head. “Only now, it’s confusing us.”

“Took me over a week to learn the general layout of this place,” Petra added. “And even then I don’t think I’ve got it all right.”

Reuben oinked. He spent a good deal of time exploring the halls. Unlike the humans and their high perspective, Reuben was used to seeing things from far below. He noticed the little things that humans didn’t usually notice. The small scuffle on the corner of a well used intersection…that chip on the floor where Jesse tripped the other day…the skid mark from the new recruit when he was late for his shift…Reuben knew where these spots were and he was able to keep track of his location in that palace.

Sometimes humans didn’t notice the smallest details that could help them.

Reuben was so busy thinking about his navigation techniques, he didn’t notice he had walked into the open. Jesse grabbed the little pig and pulled him around the corner before the two guards in front of the throne room entrance.

“Great.” Jesse blew a raspberry. “I forgot that Mother always has guards at the main entrance.”

Lukas peeked around the corner right above her. Petra, Olivia, Milo and Reuben did the same so they all could see the guards blocking their way.

“That’s the throne room?” Milo asked.

“Well, that’s great,” Olivia muttered. “Not like we can just go and politely ask them to let us in, huh?”

“Yeah, we need another idea.” Jesse bit her lip. “I’m not supposed to be out of my room, so I could go and make a distraction—”

“And leave us high and dry about where to find the Eversource,” Petra reminded her. “Nope. Not going to work.”

“Petra’s right.” Milo scratched his chin in thought. “Although a distraction is not a bad idea. Just what kind?”

As if the answer to their dilemma heard them, there was a shout. Plodding footsteps came stomping from down the opposite end of the hall. The group watched as a man in an olive green robe rushed up to the guards. Petra, Olivia and Milo ducked to make sure they weren’t seen. Jesse, Lukas and Reuben continued to watch the scene.

“Guards! Guards!” Ivor shouted, flailing his arms around his head. “Those criminals have escaped!”

Jesse gasped, but bit her tongue to keep her from crying out. Lukas slapped his forehead.

“So much for staying stealthy,” he murmured.

“They’re raiding my lab as we speak!” Ivor continued to yell. “They could be brewing potions right now!”

The two guards muttered to each other, but Jesse couldn’t make out exactly what they said. What she did notice was Ivor glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She blinked a few times, wondering if she had imagined it.

“Well, what are you just standing there for?!” the potioneer hollered. “Go to my lab and investigate, you imbeciles!”

The guards jumped and then rushed down the hall, away from the group and the hall to the throne room. Ivor was a moment behind them. He paused to look over his shoulder at Jesse, gave her a wink, and then joined the guards.

Jesse shook her head but grinned. “Looks like that’s the distraction we needed. Let’s go.”

They wasted no time leaving their hiding place to reach the double doors. Petra pushed them open and waved the others inside. She glanced around the hall one more time before entering the throne room. She closed the doors most of the way, leaving a small crack so she could look out in case anyone else stopped by.

“Wow, that was lucky,” Olivia commented. “Who was that guy, Jesse?”

“Yeah, seems he knows you,” Lukas agreed.

“That’s Ivor, my tutor,” she answered. “He taught me everything I know about building.”

“Wow, the man who taught Jesse everything she knows,” Milo awed, his eyes shining bright. “Now there’s a mind I would love to get to know.”

“Well, he blew our cover about you guys escaping,” Olivia muttered.

“But he led the guards the other way,” Lukas stated, addressing Jesse. “How far is his lab from here?”

“On the other side of the palace,” she replied, rubbing her upper arm. “He’s going to get in trouble when the guards figure out he’s helping us.”

“Yeah, good thing he knew you were here.” Lukas paused and shook his head with a sharp jerk. “Wait, how did he know you were here?”

“I have no idea.” Jesse could only shrug. “Ivor knows lots of things he probably shouldn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew about my sneaking out the whole time, even though no one else ever figured it out.”

The throne room looked quite different at night. The gold blocks had faded to a sort of deep yellow. The purple carpeting almost matched the dark blue sky behind the throne. Speaking of the throne, it was the only place where torches illuminated the room, creating shadows in the center of the room and nowhere else. Some clouds had gathered above the city, blocking out most of the starlight, and the moon wasn’t visible at all.

“So, where’s the Eversource?” Lukas asked. Reuben shoved him with his snout towards a set of tracks to the left of the throne. “Whoa!”

“Be nice, Reuben,” Jesse teased. Jesse jogged to the wall where the tracks ended. “He’s right though. This is where we need to go.”

“…Into the wall?” Olivia asked. “Um, last time I checked, that wasn’t possible.”

Jesse chuckled. “We don’t go into the wall. Mother made a secret passage here that lets mine carts come and go.”

“I take it that’s how The Founder moves large amounts of resources,” Milo surmised. “Clever.”

“But the redstone circuit isn’t finished,” Olivia proclaimed. She pointed to the empty block in the middle of the line. “Jesse, it looks like it doesn’t have any power.”

Jesse and Lukas stared at her for a moment before looking at each other. Jesse rubbed her forehead.

“Yeah, I forgot that Mother takes the lever she uses to activate the circuit,” she described. She turned and headed in the direction of the throne. “No worries though. We can make one.”

“Really?” Lukas asked. “But we don’t have sticks or cobblestone…or a crafting table, for that matter.”

“I’m way ahead of you, Lukas,” Jesse said. “Mother has a cobblestone generator in the back.”

She approached the throne with the intent to walk around it. Lukas was right behind her, but almost tripped on Jesse when she stopped in front of the throne. She stared at it with a curious expression, one eyebrow raised. She put her hands on her hips for a moment before climbing the steps. Jesse sat herself down on the throne, smiling as she felt the comfort of the seat.

“No wonder Mother likes to sit in this all day,” she whispered only loud enough for Lukas to hear.

“Uh, Jesse?” Lukas said. “What are you doing?”

She chuckled in response. “Sorry.”

“Now’s really not the time for that, Jesse,” Petra called from the door. “The acoustics are funky in this place, so it’s hard to tell when people are coming.”

“Sorry Petra,” Jesse said. “I was just having some fun before leaving the palace.”

“Leaving the palace?” Lukas followed her to a corner of the land behind the throne room. There was a small pool of water and a pool of lava, with a block of cobblestone between it. “What do you mean leave the palace?”

“Just what I said.” Jesse pulled out her pickaxe and mined the block of cobblestone. She snatched it up before the water and lava could flood the space again, making another block of cobblestone. “After we get the Eversource, I’m leaving the palace for good.”

“But this is your home,” Lukas reminded her. “You’re really just going to leave it all behind?”

“Of course I am,” she answered, looking at him over his shoulder. “There’s no way I’m sticking around. If I do, I’ll never be allowed to see the light of day again!”

“What about your mom?” he asked. “You’re just going to leave her here alone?”

“After everything she’s done to you guys, she deserves it.” Jesse glanced around. “Now what to do about sticks?”

Reuben made a few oinks, and the couple turned to see him standing next to a dead bush. He had a hoof on the bush and a wide smile on his face. Reuben was so proud of himself, he didn’t notice Lukas’ face was drawn up with worry. His eyes followed Jesse as she walked around the small pond to the bush, which happened to be located next to a crafting table.

“Look Jesse, I don’t think it’s like that,” he assured her. “I talked a lot with your mom, and I doubt she’d actually keep you prisoner—”

“She practically said she would at dinner tonight,” Jesse argued. “She also said she was going to punish you guys for something that should never have been illegal.”

“Yeah, believe me, if there was anyone who never thought building should be illegal, I’m one of them.” Lukas shrugged as he watched Jesse punch the dead bush into nothing but a couple of sticks. “But I don’t think she really means to hurt you when she says that. I think you two just need to talk it all out.”

“She never listens to anything I say.” Jesse grabbed the sticks and sidestepped to the crafting table. “She’s never listened to me my whole life. Why should I expect her to start now?”

As Jesse was placing the cobblestone on the table, Lukas gently took her hand and squeezed. She turned to look up into his blue eyes.

“Listen, I’m not saying she’s right. Far from it,” he insisted. “The thing is, I would give anything to have my own mom back. I’m lucky I have my dad. But you…you told me you don’t know your dad, so your mom is your only parent. Are you really going to give up on the only parent you have left?”

Jesse froze for a moment, staring into nothing as she seemed to consider this. She bit her bottom lip almost to the point of making it bleed. Lukas waited, hoping against hope she would change her mind. He wasn’t sure what was going through her head, but with any luck she was thinking about his words. Lukas didn’t agree with The Founder’s way of things, but that didn’t mean he wanted Jesse to drive away her own mother, her one parent remaining.

Instead, she placed the stick on the crafting table, causing a lever to sprout in its place.

“I’m not going back to being a bird in a cage.”

“Fantastic!”

Jesse and Lukas both jumped at the exclamation in a deep voice. They immediately turned to see Milo staring at them with a toothy grin and raised eyebrows. His gaze switched between their faces and the lever in Jesse’s hand.

“Dad! Don’t do that!” His son admonished.

“My apologies. I couldn’t help watching,” the elder man explained. “Even when it’s something as simple as a lever. It’s always a thrill to watch someone so confident in their building abilities. You are really something, Jesse.”

The green-eyed girl blushed. “Thanks, Milo.”

“So, are we getting this door open?” Olivia called from the tracks.

“We sure are!” Jesse said as she returned to the redstone circuit and placed the lever on the empty block. “Watch this.”

With a flip of the switch, the iron that made up the wall rose up to reveal a large opening. As if on cue, a set of five mine carts ran up the tracks and into the throne room proper. The passage itself slanted downwards, with more tracks leading away. A couple of bangs rang out as the door finished opening.

“Hope no one heard that,” Olivia muttered.

“Cool secret passage,” Petra commented, glancing down the tracks. “Should’ve known The Founder would go to such lengths to keep the Eversource hidden from us little people.”

“This is nothing,” Jesse said. “Mother’s made all kinds of secret tunnels in the walls. In case of an emergency, she said.”

“Why am I not surprised by that kind of paranoia?” Milo crossed his arms with a frown.

“Paranoia’s right. Only Mother and I know about them. I don’t even think Reginald does. But anyway!” Jesse declared. “Eversource, here we come!”

No one hesitated to get in the carts. Reuben joined Jesse in the front, while the others clambered into the ones behind. The mine carts started on their own, heading through the secret door and down the passageway. Once the carts reached the part heading down, they took off through the bottom of the palace like a roller coaster. Lukas gasped. A few turns gave the impression that the mine carts would fly right off the tracks and into the Void, only to swerve to the right or left at the last minute. Olivia covered her eyes and Petra held her arms up, enjoying the thrill.

It didn’t take long for the carts to be stopped by a barrier at the bottom, forcing them to an abrupt halt. Reuben jerked in Jesse’s arms for a moment. She climbed out of the mine cart, lending a small hand to her pig friend. She then turned to the large room filled to the ceiling with chests. Wooden slabs with labels indicating what was inside.

“Wow, that’s a lot of chests,” Lukas commented, his voice low in wonder.

“And they’re labeled?” Petra said.

“Creeper? Zombie? Sheep? Pigman?” Milo read off. “These are actually in these chests?”

“I’m with Milo,” Petra continued, glancing at Jesse. “What is this all about?”

Jesse waved to one of the chests labeled “Sheep,” an amused smile on her face. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself?”

Lukas glanced at Petra before heading for the chest and opening it. Inside was a huge pile of eggs with pinkish-brown spots. They were quite unlike the normal white or brown eggs he had seen before. Lukas blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t imagining the colors and patterning.

“An egg?” Petra glanced into the chest as well. “Why are there all these eggs?”

“The sign says sheep, not eggs,” Lukas proclaimed. Holding one of the eggs, he turned back to his girlfriend. “Jesse?”

“What do you do with eggs?” she said with a shrug. When they didn’t respond, she rolled her eyes. “Give it a throw and see what happens?”

“Should I be scared?” Olivia asked.

She received no answer. Instead, Lukas turned towards one of the rare uncovered walls. With a small windup, he flung the egg. It immediately cracked open to reveal a small, wooly, four-legged animal. It turned to Reuben and gave a bleat. Reuben snorted in response while the humans all stared at the sheep.

“A…sheep?” Petra sounded almost like she wasn’t sure what the animal was.

“Is that one of the monsters The Founder claims to fight all the time?” Milo wondered aloud. “That is not so bad. It is fluffy.”

“Oh no, not at all.” Jesse swung her arms around in the negative. “That’s a sheep. It’s where mutton comes from. If you want a really bad monster, something like a creeper is much worse. Don’t touch the green ones with black spots.”

Reuben oinked loudly, jumping up to one of the chests that was labeled “Pigs.” Jesse nodded to him.

“Yeah, that’s where you came from, huh buddy?”

“So, these creatures all come out of the eggs?” Olivia inquired, opening another chest and pulling out another egg. This one was yellow with black spots. “And they’re all different colors…”

“Yeah, Mother’s figured out what creature comes from what egg based on their color,” Jesse explained. “When the creature is killed, it drops resources that we use for the city.”

“So, that’s why The Founder said the Eversource is dangerous,” Lukas realized with a snap of his fingers. “It makes these eggs that spawn monsters she has to fight to get the resources.”

“Yeah.” Jesse’s shoulders dropped and she rubbed her upper arm with the opposite hand. “Mother was training me to do it too. Until…”

“Until what?” Lukas asked.

She was silent until Lukas put a hand on her shoulder. “…I was fighting a spider and it managed to bite me. Mother hasn’t let me down here since.”

“How long ago was that?” Olivia inquired.

“A long time,” she answered. “I can’t remember exactly.”

“Speaking of the Eversource,” Petra proclaimed, trying to move away from the distressing memory. “It makes eggs?”

“Yes, where is the Eversource?” Milo added.

The statements had their desired effect, as Jesse smiled again. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.”

“Jesse, what aren’t you telling us?” Lukas questioned.

She didn’t reply. Instead, Jesse walked down one of the aisles, chests on either side. The others joined her a little more slowly. Petra, Milo and Olivia took the second aisle on the other side of the island in the middle. He jogged a little to catch up with her and grabbed her hand. He might have been a little too rough, as she jumped when they made contact.

“Jesse, what is the Eversource? Really?” he asked, his eyes darting around the full room. “If the eggs can create monsters, what can the Eversource itself do?”

“Oh goodness, you’re worried about that?” Jesse giggled a bit. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to worry you. No, the Eversource itself wouldn’t harm a fly. Only the eggs could potentially be dangerous.”

Jesse covered his hand with her own and squeezed, looking up at him with shining eyes. Just looking into those eyes made Lukas immediately relax. Any anxiety he felt about finding the Eversource soared away, and he couldn’t help but match her smile.

“I don’t mean to drag you along like this,” she said. “Come on. I’ll show you the Eversource.”

Jesse gently pulled Lukas into the next section of the room. This section had fewer chests and was a more open area. There was a fence at the edge to keep anyone from falling into the Void, but the rest of the wall was exposed to the sky. A large corner was covered not with stone or iron, but with dirt and grass. It was completely different from the rest of the resource room. There were a couple of blocks of dirt piled together to make a small mound. Other than that this area was relatively bare.

“Is this the space where your mom fights the…” Lukas trailed off when he spotted a small face peeking out at him from behind the dirt mound. It had two small, beady eyes and a flash of gold on top of its head. Lukas didn’t get a chance to see what that was before it ducked behind the mound again. “What in the…”

Jesse chuckled again and walked forward. She kneeled down a few feet away from the dirt mound and held out her hand.

“Hey Benny. It’s just me, Jesse,” she said in a soft voice. Lukas watched her with furrowed brows. “I haven’t seen you in so long. Will you please come out?”

The little face peeked out again. This time Lukas could tell that whatever the creature was, it wore a golden crown on its head.

“Reuben’s here too. You remember him?” Reuben squealed happily to reinforce the point. “And these are my friends. Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Lukas waited for something, anything, to happen. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he was not disappointed. He heard a cluck and the flap of a few feathers, and then a small chicken came tumbling out from behind the dirt mound. She tripped on her own feet as she moved, causing her to somersault forward and land on her face.

Reuben walked forward and helped the chicken to her feet. The two ran around each other, oinking and clucking in play. All the while, Jesse laughed out loud and Lukas stared with a raised eyebrow.

“What—”

“Hey Benny,” Jesse said. The chicken, Benny apparently, clucked and flew into her arms. She stood with the chicken in her arms, cradling the little fowl to her chest. “It’s good to see you again too.”

“Jesse?” Lukas asked, his head tilting rather far to the side. “Why are you holding a chicken?”

“Incredible!” Milo shouted, once again seeming to come out of nowhere.

Olivia and Petra turned at the voice and made their way over. Everyone stared at Jesse and Benny in her arms.

“Everyone,” Jesse declared. “Meet the Eversource.”

Olivia rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “The Eversource…is a chicken?”

“What.” Petra’s deadpan tone could have leveled a building.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Lukas proclaimed. “A chicken lays all these eggs?”

“And the eggs make the monsters,” Olivia summarized. “And the resources that come from the monsters are used for Sky City.”

“Exactly!” Jesse gave Benny a few pats on her head. “That’s how Mother has been able to provide resources to everyone all this time.”

“Well, not any longer.” Milo stepped forward and held his hands out for the chicken. “We’re going to bring the Eversource to the people! Wit it, we’ll finally be free of The Founder and her laws!”

“The chicken that the entire city depends on?” Lukas hollered. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Jesse?”

“That’s why we came here, isn’t it?” Olivia asked.

“Yeah, we’re here to kidnap, er—” Jesse began.

“Chicken-nap?” Petra offered with a smirk.

Jesse stared at her for a moment. “Right. We’re here to chicken-nap the Eversource for the people, right?”

“Trust me, I get that. But Jesse,” said Lukas. “Look, I know you’re mad at your mom, but do you really want to take away the only way anybody gets any resources at all?”

“I’m surprised at you, Son,” Milo commented. “Do you want to stay under The Founder’s thumb for the rest of your life?”

“Of course not.”

“Then we need to take the Eversource for ourselves so we can have the resources for ourselves.”

“And we’ll be sharing them with other people, right?” Jesse suddenly interrupted, giving Benny a squeeze. “Because if you keep them to yourself, you’re no better than Mother or Aiden.”

Milo’s eyebrows shot up. He looked at Jesse as if she had punched him.

“Jesse, I’m sorry,” he said, his tone much more quiet than before. “I don’t mean to say it that way. I just want to help the people not be limited in what they want to do.”

“But we’re no better than Aiden if we keep the Eversource to ourselves either,” Jesse described, looking down at the chicken. “Right, Benny?”

Benny clucked and Reuben oinked. Somehow their tones were precisely the same.

Milo rubbed the back of his neck. “I want the Eversource for the people, not for myself. You know me better than that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jesse’s smile was genuine this time. “I just…suddenly don’t know about all this.”

“I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to,” Milo said. “Whatever decision you make, it’ll be the right one.”

“We’re with you, Jesse,” Petra announced. “Whatever you want to do.”

“Ever though I dragged you all here instead of letting you guys escape while you had the chance?” Jesse asked.

“Are you kidding?” Lukas put his arms on his waist and smirked at her. “We volunteered to come, remember?”

Any response Jesse was going to give was immediately interrupted by Olivia’s scream. She was picked up by her ankles and thrown to the far wall. Petra and Milo quickly followed, their skulls banging against the walls. Jesse and Lukas spun around to find multiple guards, including Maya and Gill, holding them at sword point.

The Founder stood before them, having been the one to throw their companions off their feet. She spread her feet in a pose of a martial artist, one quite used to fighting with and without weapons. She looked up from her eyelids with a dark scowl.

“I knew it! I knew you were here to steal from me!”

Milo, Petra and Olivia groaned from their wounds. Out of the corner of their eyes they could see Aiden stride forward, that infernal smile still present on his lips. Jesse didn’t take her eyes off him as she slowly lowered Benny to the ground. Reuben herded the chicken to the side of the room, away from the intruding guards.

“Dang it,” Petra whispered. “Let my guard down. Didn’t hear them coming.”

“Jesse, bring the Eversource here,” The Founder commanded. Jesse stared at her with narrow eyes. Isa squinted her own eyes and gritted her teeth. “Jesse. Come here. Now.”

Lukas felt a hand grab his, and he glanced down to see that instead of obeying, Jesse took his hand in hers. He gave her a tight squeeze and gave The Founder a determined glare.

I’m standing with you, Jesse. No matter what.

“It’s just like I told you, Founder!” Curse Aiden and his big mouth! “They’ve tricked Jesse into stealing the Eversource for them!”

“That’s not what’s going on!” Petra hissed from her spot in front of Maya’s sword.

“You’ve got the wrong idea!” Olivia joined in.

“Shut up, criminals!” Aiden ordered, barely giving them a look in favor of scowling at the couple’s entwined fingers.

“You just want it for yourself, Aiden!” Jesse screamed, ignoring her mother entirely. “Stop pretending!”

Aiden visibly jumped at her tone. His eyes widening for a split second before returning to normal size. His face became arrogant and aggressive again.

“And I’m supposed to believe the escaped convicts?” The Founder declared. Aiden’s smile only got wider. She glanced back and forth between Milo and Lukas. “Aiden warned me all about how you’ve been trying to corrupt my daughter’s mind! And this just proves it! Convincing her to bring you here so you could steal the Eversource!”

“As if I couldn’t make my own decision about that for myself,” Jesse muttered. Lukas was doubtful her mother had heard her.

“You think you can just waltz in here and take away not only my only daughter,” The Founder’s voice was so raw it was almost as if it could break at any moment. “But the very thing that Sky city depends on to survive?”

“Boy, when you put it like that I almost feel bad.”

The Founder’s gaze froze and then snapped to Aiden. He had backed up a number of steps to one of the chests labeled “Creeper” and taken one of the eggs out of it. Lukas’s eyes went wide at the sight. It was a green egg with black spots, the exact one Jesse had warned them only minutes ago to never touch.

“Founder, the Eversource is no longer yours,” Aiden said as he threw the egg up and down, catching it in his palm. “Oh, and neither is your daughter or your throne. They’re all mine now.”

“What?” She backed up a few steps. “What are you talking about Aiden?”

“Just what I said,” he emphasized with a shake of his head. “Your reign over Sky City is over. But don’t worry. Your legacy will continue on in Jesse.”

“I’m not cooperating in anything with you, Aiden!” Jesse yelled, fisting the hand that wasn’t holding onto Lukas.

“I trusted you,” The Founder whispered through her teeth. “I thought you were helping me, helping Sky City. And I was going to make you my daughter’s bodyguard!”

“Oh, don’t worry about her.” Aiden turned his head to blow Jesse a kiss. The very sight of it made Lukas want to vomit. If Jesse’s expression was anything to go by, she felt the same. “I’ll take good care of Jesse when you’re gone.”

“Aiden, don’t do this.”

“Let’s see how these eggs really work, huh?”

With that all said and done, Aiden launched the egg at The Founder. She ducked in time to avoid it. Lukas and Jesse only had a moment to react to avoid getting hit by the egg themselves. The egg cracked open and, just like the sheep, a creature popped out. It was a strange four-legged monster with skin like moss. It’s face, if one could call it that, released a hiss and the creature immediately started blinking.

“Creeper!” Jesse shouted. “Lukas! Watch out! They explode!”

The creeper decided to face off against The Founder. She pulled out a pair of diamond swords out of her inventory in preparation for a fight. If she was hoping to defeat the monster before it blew up, she was disappointed. The blinking didn’t last long before the creeper burst apart in a puff of smoke and heat.

Lukas found himself thrown back, the back of his head hitting the edge of one of the chests. Stars filled his vision for several seconds. When he was able to compose himself, the first thing he saw was Jesse bringing herself to her feet a few yards away. The blast of course affected her too. Aiden was a little better off, having landed on his back further into the island. Benny was running around in circles in a complete panic, while Reuben was doing his best to herd the chicken to a safer spot.

A little farther away was The Founder, hanging on for dear life to the edge of the island. She had been the one closest to the exploding creeper, so she took the brunt of the blast. It must have hurled her up a few feet. By sheer luck she managed to grab the dirt edge to keep herself from falling into the Void. Jesse’s eyes widened at the sight, but in the corner of her eye she also spotted Aiden beginning to stand.

Luckily for her, Lukas was also on his feet by this time, despite the small amount of blood dripping down the back of his neck from his head injury. He immediately launched himself at Aiden, wrestling with him to keep him from reaching Jesse, The Founder, or the animals.

“I’ve got Aiden!” Lukas called to her. “Save your mom!”

“Oh, you’ve ‘got’ me, Lukas?” Aiden taunted back, delivering a punch of his own. “We’ll see about that!”

Everything was happening so fast, Jesse could barely keep up with reality. Her mother was dangling over the edge of the Void, ready to drop at a moment’s notice, while her boyfriend was fight his former friend and now enemy. Her head snapped back and forth between them, completely unsure of who she should help. Her mother or her boyfriend?

Well, one thing Jesse knew was that Lukas was tough and could hold his own. Her mother…Jesse may not have been happy with her at the moment, but she didn’t want to see her fall into the Void!

She had absolutely no time to think! She rushed to her right and slid across the dirt to grab her mother’s hand right before she fell.

“Got you!” Jesse grunted as she struggled to pull the older woman up. She managed to grab her other hand and with a bit more leverage Jesse was able to pull Isa up to safety. “Got you.”

Isa let out a relieved breath. “Jesse…thank you.”

Jesse nodded and was about to turn around with every intention to help Lukas and sort out this whole mess. She froze, however, when Lukas was pushed back and off the island. He let out a scream of terror.

“Lukas!”

Unlike before, when everything was happening at a breakneck pace, now Jesse’s whole world slowed down. The backdrop of the night sky emphasized his wild blonde hair, fluttering like feathers in the wind as he fell. Jesse’s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open, and she found she just couldn’t move.

Freezing turned out to be the worst thing she could do. Before she knew it, Jesse felt herself being grabbed by the wrist. She was yanked backwards, away from the island edge. It was Aiden, and at the same time he took advantage of everyone’s shock to literally kicking Isa into the Void.

Jesse let out a low gasp. “Mother!”

She pushed Aiden out of the way, throwing herself back on the dirt and darting an arm out as if she would catch her again. Jesse was far too late this time though. She could do nothing but watch as her mother tumbled through the sky, becoming ever smaller and smaller until she was nothing more than a tiny dot.

“Mother! LUKAS!”

#mcsm #minecraft story mode #mcsm jesse #mcsm lukas #mcsm au #Sky City!AU #Sky City!Jesse #fanfiction

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